Conservative
activists at Loyola University Chicago
were planning to bring best-selling author and Young America’s Foundation
lecturer Karl Rove to their campus
for the fall semester. Administrators at the university, however, are claiming
that Rove cannot speak because he is a “political” speaker, and that would put
their 501(c)(3) tax status in jeopardy.

The
university claims that the Internal
Revenue Service has become stricter with not-for-profit institutions this
year. News broke recently that the university is hosting Eboo Patel, an apointee of the Obama administration, to speak on
campus. If the school is truly concerned about their tax status, they would not
host a respresentative of the Obama administration that has a vested interest
in the fall elections.

Outraged?
We are too. Here is the entire series of events in timeline format:

April, 2010: Sean
Patrick Vera, a conservative activist at Loyola University Chicago, reaches out
to Young Amierca’s Foundation asking if we could help sponsor an event with
Karl Rove.

April, 2010:
Loyola’s Unified Student Government Association votes in favor of allocating
funds to bring Karl Rove to campus in the fall semester.

April 15, 2010:
Karl Rove is formerly invited to speak at Loyola.

April 22, 2010:
Young America’s Foundation finalizes details with Karl Rove. It is decided that
the date of October 19, 2010 works best for everyone.

May 4, 2010: A
contract is finalized with Karl Rove and Young America’s Foundation for the
event.

May 17, 2010: Loyola sends their speaker
contract to be signed by Young America’s Foundation. The Foundation responds
immediately.

July 6, 2010:
Kimberly Moore, director of student affairs and Greek affairs at Loyola
University Chicago, informs students that Karl Rove cannot speak because, “the
timing is problematic given the campaign cycle.”

July 21, 2010:
Young America’s Foundation responds to the university’s decission with a press
release. (To see the press release, click here.)

The story will not end there though. Young America’s Foundation
fully intends on fighting the university administration on this blantant
display of hyprocrisy. That is why we are announcing the “LET KARL SPEAK” campaign.

You can get involved. Post this blog post to your Facebook
and Twitter accounts, and tell your friends. Spread the word. More people
becoming outraged means that more pressure will be placed on the university.

You can follow Young
America’s Foundation’s efforts to LET
KARL SPEAK on Twitter by following @yaf.